Waking Dreams
by KurosakiElric
Summary: The Elric brothers have just woken up, only to find themselves back in their ten year old bodies. As if the past 8 years of their lives never happened. Have they been given a second chance? Royai, Ed/Winry
1. Chapter 1

Edward Elric awoke with a start. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and noticed right away something was wrong.

He looked at his right hand and arm, only to find them to be flesh and bone, not auto-mail.

"What the hell?" Ed whispered.

He ran to the mirror in the hall, to find his 10 year old looking back at him.

He screamed in terror.

Al ran in at the noise.

"Brother, what's-" he stopped short when he saw Ed.

"Your auto-mail is gone, Ed." Said Al, shocked. "Why are you 10 years old again?"

"I'm nothing, Al. You should take a look at yourself." Ed sighed.

Al did as he was told, and was shocked and horrified to see his 9-year-old self looking back at him.

Al didn't scream.

"W-w-what's happening, Brother?" he asked.

"I don't know, Al. I just woke up.."

"Al… Do you think… It was all just a…"

"A dream?" Al finished, now even more scared.

"Edward? Alphonse? What's going on? Why were you screaming?"

The brothers turned, and looked into the face of their mother.

They were shocked into silence.

"Mom?" asked Ed.

Then Ed saw the man behind her.

"You bastard!" he yelled, as he tried to run to him. He wanted to hurt him within an inch of his life.

"How can you leave Mom like that. You didn't even come to her funeral!"

"Calm down, Brother!" shouted Al as he held Ed back.

"No, I won't calm down! He abandoned Mom. And he's a homunculus!" Ed shouted in anger. "He doesn't deserve to live!"

"What's a homunculus?" asked Hohenhiem.

"Don't play stupid with me." spat Ed. "You know what you are. A homunculus is a artificial human being. He's got a philosopher's stone!"

Hohenheim stared hard at the boys for a minute.

"I don't know how you found out about homunculi or the philosopher's stone, but I can assure you, I am not one, and nor do I have a stone."

"Let me go, Al." said Ed through clenched teeth.

"You're not going to hurt Dad, are you Brother?" asked Al fearfully.

"No, I'm not. I'm leaving." he said.

"Don't leave, Brother."

"I have to. I have to go to Central."


	2. Chapter 2

"Please, don't leave, Ed." Said Trisha, pleading.

"Don't go, Brother."

Ed continued to glare at Hohenheim, breathing hard.

"Fine. At least let me use the phone." He muttered.

5 minutes later, Ed was on the phone with Colonel Mustang.

"Yes, what is it?" asked a voice on the other line. Ed knew it well.

"Colonel?"

"What is it kid?" he asked, clearly bored with the conversation.

"Look. I don't know what the hell happened, but my brother and I just woke up, and we.." he paused.

"I don't care if you just woke up, kid. Unless you have important matters to discuss, then this is just a waste of my time."

"You don't know who I am, do you?" he whispered.

"No, and frankly I don't care."

"You used to call me the FullMetal Alchemist. You would make fun of me because I was small." He whispered into the receiver. "My name is Edward Elric."

"Elric, huh?" asked Mustang, amused. "I seem to remember that name."

He paused.

"Wait- Edward Elric? Brother of Alphonse?"

"Oh, so you do remember me?" Ed sighed, relieved.

"What's going on, FullMetal? Why do you sound like a kid?"

"I don't know. That's what Al and I are trying to find out. We just woke up, and we found ourselves in our 10-year-old bodies again. Our Mom is alive and everything."

"I know the feeling. Like you just woke up from a long sleep, right?"

"Yeah, how did you know, Colonel?" he asked.

"That was the reaction me and Hawkeye experienced this morning. It was quite a shock when we saw Hughes."

"Major Hughes is _alive_?" asked Ed, surprised.

"It would seem so, FullMetal. I'm guessing this is an alternate dimension at the other side of the Gate of Truth. Like we've been given a clean slate."

"I think I know what you mean. Like we've been given the opportunity to prevent Father from destroying Amestris or something."

Mustang was silent.

"Can you and your brother make it to Central? We need to talk. Face to face. See if you can bring Izumi. I'm guessing that she was affected to."

Suddenly, something clicked into place.

"We were all sacrifices, remember? We were there when the Gate opened. Maybe that's why we were affected. We saw the Truth."

Mustang was silent.

"Bring your teacher. Central. My office. 2 weeks. Got it, FullMetal?"

"Yeah. See you there."

Ed hung up the phone.

"What's going on, Brother?"

"Well, Al, it seems as though people who were sacrificed at the Promised Day were affected by this. Mustang thinks it's an alternant dimension on the other side of the Gate. He thinks Teacher might be affected as well. He wants us to meet her, and then meet him in Central in 2 weeks."

"So does this mean your leaving, boys?" Trisha asked.

"Yah, but we'll be back. Don't die before we can figure this out. Kay Mom?" asked Ed.

Ed and Al hugged their parents, and went to the train station to Dublith, hoping that Izumi Curtis would recognize them.


	3. Chapter 3

The train ride to Dublith seemed to take forever. In truth, however, the trip only took 3 days. But during those 3 days aboard the train, it was Al who voiced a major concern that had been eating at Ed for the past few days.

"Can we still do alchemy, Brother?" asked Al.

"I don't know, Al. Maybe we should check and make sure. If we can't then we'll need to ask Teacher to teach us all over again."

"You try first, Brother. It's more important that you can use alchemy then Me." said Al.

Ed stared at Al. Then tried to transmute something. He clapped his hands together, and Ed felt a surge of power come up from somewhere in his core, and through his arms. Ed grinned in satisfaction, as a small wooden stick appeared on top the wooden table. It wasn't there before.

"Yep. Still got it!" said Ed, flexing his right hand and arm, as he was accustomed to doing when it was auto-mail.

"OK. My turn Brother." Said Al.

Al clapped his hands together, but no surge of power came.

He sighed in disappointment.

"Hey, Al. At least your not stuck in that armor again." Chuckled Ed, in spite of himself.

"Yeah. But I'd rather be stuck in the armor as apposed to not being able to do alchemy." Said Al. "I won't be able to help you fight. Not in this body, anyways."

"Sure you will, Al. Maybe Teacher can teach you, like she did before."

"Yeah… Maybe." Sighed Al.

Ed could see there was no more point to this conversation, so he leaned his head on the window and watched as the scenery blurred by.

"You're alchemists, right?" Ed heard a stranger ask moments later.

Ed turned to see a women standing by them in the isle. The mole under her left eye and brown hair was undistinguishable.

"Lieutenant Ross!" said Al happily.

"Do I know you?" she asked.

"I'm Alphonse Elric. This is my brother Ed."'

Ross' face went pale.

"You're… The Elric brothers?" she asked in surprise.

She saluted them, and said "Colonel Mustang asked me to supervise you on your trip to Dublith, sirs."

"Supervise?" asked Ed.

"He wasn't sure about whether or not you boys could still use alchemy, and plus, children should not be going on such a trip alone! Sir." She added after a pause.

"We've gone on longer trips by ourselves." Said Ed, who was slightly offended.

"Yes, but you no longer have auto-mail, am I right?"

"Nope. Flesh and bone." Said Ed, flexing his right arm and hand once more.

"All the more reason I should accompany you. Sir."

"Knock yourself out." Sighed Ed.

"Thank you, sir!" said Ross, as she sat down next to him.

"So, what happened to you two? From what Mustang told me, you two woke up like this."

"Yeah that's pretty much it. Did you know Hues is alive?" asked Ed.

"Yes, I do, sir. It was quiet a shock for Colonel Mustang when he found out, apparently."

There was a pause as Ed went to look out the window once more.

"Who are you boys going to see in Dublith? This is quite a trip for two young children."

"We're going to see our alchemy teacher, Izumi Curtis."

"That name sounds familiar." Said Ross.

"Why?" asked Al.

"It just does." Shrugged Ross. "I remember that name from somewhere. Nothing specific."

The trio were silent once more as the forest around them blurred as the train sped on.


	4. Chapter 4

"Is this Izumi Curtis?" asked a voice on the phone.

"Who wants to know?" asked Izumi, her voice strained.

"This is Colonel Roy Mustang. It seems as though we have a situation on our hands. One concerning the Elric brothers."

"Edward and Alphonse?" she asked.

"That's right. Something happened to them a few days ago. Unfortunately, if you're not Izumi Curtis, then the information remains classified." Said Mustang with a scoff.

"I'm Izumi." She said after a pause.

Mustang scoffed again.

"FullMetal called me a few days ago, and told me something I found disturbing. Apparently he and his brother woke in their 10 year old bodies that morning. According to FullMetal, he felt as if he'd woken up from a long dream."

Izumi stared at Sig in shock. Sig was equally as shocked.

"10…year old…" stuttered Izumi.

"That's what happened. But it's not just them. Hawkeye and I awoke with similar symptoms. It was a big shock for us when we saw Hughes alive, after all this time, let me tell you." Continued Mustang.

"The major that was shot by the _homunculus_?" asked Izumi, her voice quiet.

"The very same. I've sent the boys to come and get you. I wish for you three to meet me and Hawkeye in Central, in my office, in 2 weeks time." Sighed Mustang.

"YOU LET TWO CHILDREN TRAVEL BY THEMSELVES?!" exploded Izumi.

Mustang stayed silent.

"YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW IF THEY CAN DO ALCHEMY! THEY COULD BE DEFENSLESS." She shouted.

"No, I don't know if they could do alchemy. But this will be a good test, don't you think?"

Izumi was breathing heavily, like an angry rhinoceros.

"I doubt they would be defenseless. I've sent Lieutenant Maria Ross to guard them should things go wrong. Knowing the boys, they could probably use some excitement."

Izumi slammed down the receiver in anger.

XXX

On the other line, Colonel Mustang chuckled to himself as he put the receiver down.

"Who was that sir?" asked Hawkeye as she entered.

"I just got off the phone with Izumi Curtis to let her know of the situation. She wasn't to happy."

Riza stared at Mustang, her eyes boring into his.

"What did you say, sir?" asked Riza sternly.

Mustang shrugged. "I just told her that they were on the train to her house, and that Ross was accompanying them."

"Was that all, sir?" she asked.

"Pretty much." He chuckled.

Riza sighed. Mustang looked at her questionably.

"C'mon, sir. We should get going."

"Where to, Lieutenant?" Asked Mustang.

"My apartment. I need to take care of the dog."

Mustang scoffed. "The dog can wait. We have more pressing matters Hawkeye."

"Maybe so, Colonel." Said Riza, voice growing stern again. "But you need to eat as well, and we can't eat the food here all the time."

Mustang stared at Riza. She stared back.

"Plus, I need you to do me a favor." She said.


	5. Chapter 5

Riza Hawkeye and Roy Mustang walked side by side down the street. The sun had already set, and the streetlights were flickering on, one by one. Mustang wanted to ask her something, but couldn't bring himself to do it.

Riza kept her head down as she walked, and stayed silent. She brought her hair down before they left, to hide her face. She couldn't believe that _it_ was back. She thought he'd burned it all. She wanted the thing off her back. With it on her skin, she felt tainted. Dirty. It reminded her of her father. She despised him. He was an alchemist. He discovered the truth, and long lost secrets of alchemy, and tattooed them on his daughter's back.

Before long, they reached the apartment building. Mustang held the doors open for her as she walked in. She smiled at him as she walked past him, then her face returned to its emotionless state.

They climbed 3 flights of stairs to get to her apartment, and she turned the key in its lock to open it. Black Hyatte saw that his mistress returned, and barked a couple of times in excitement. He stopped after Riza gave him a stern look.

Riza fed him, and started to cut vegetables for dinner.

Mustang didn't like the silence, but he could tell something was bothering her. He wasn't going to be the one to bring it up if he could help it. Riza stopped cutting, and put down the knife. Roy looked up from his spot on the sofa.

"My father discovered the secrets of Flame Alchemy." She whispered.

Roy stared at his shoes.

"When I was young, he tattooed them onto my back, as a way of making sure they didn't go into the wrong hands."

Roy looked up in shock.

"He…." Roy couldn't finish the sentence.

"I want you to help me get rid of it, Colonel. Burn it off."

XXX

It was 2 days since the phone call from Mustang. Izumi Curtis was still waiting for Ed and Al to get there, but she figured something must have happened.

"I have to get them, Sig." She muttered.

Sig nodded. "I'll come."

Izumi nodded, thankful for her husband's companionship.

"Do you remember the way to the station?"

"Yes, I do, Sig. But I don't think the train's made it there, yet." She sighed.

"Then what do you suggest we do, Izumi?" Sig asked her.

Izumi smiled wickedly, and an evil glint appeared in her eye.

"We catch a train. That's what!" she shouted, while cracking her knuckles.


	6. Chapter 6

RESEMBOOL

3 DAYS EARLIER

Trisha and Hohenhiem stared at the door after it closed.

"What did he mean? Don't die?" he asked her.

"I don't know." sighed Trisha. "But whatever is wrong with them, we will get through with this together. As a family."

"A _homunculus_ Ed called me. I wonder where he heard the word." Sighed Hohenhiem.

"So they do exsist?" asked Trisha, shocked.

Hohenhiem nodded.

"But I thought that human transmutation was forbidden." Said Trisha.

"It is. But when an attempt is failed, then a _homunculi_ is born." Sighed Hohenhiem.

Trisha looked up at her husband, and he saw his eyes harden.

"I have to go after them, Trisha. Make sure they're alright." He said.

"I understand, but perhaps it's best if they don't see you. You heard what he said."

"Yes. I heard him." He sighed sadly.

Hohenhiem walked to the door. He put his hand on the handle, and paused, not opening it.

"He's right. Don't die until we can sort this out." He said sadly. "I wont be able to protect you while I'm gone. Pinako should be able to help you with some things, but.." he let the sentence drop.

"I understand. Just make sure the boys are alright." She said.

Hohenhiem said nothing more and walked out, suitcase in hand.

PRESENT DAY

Izumi Curtis walked along the side of the train tracks. She hadn't coughed blood at all since she had woken up that day. She nodded to her husband, who walked behind her.

Truthfully, she didn't trust this Mustang person. He was a dog of the military. He would probably kill on command without a single thought.

She scoffed, and the clapped her hands and pressed them to the ground. She felt that unmistakable surge of power, and then a giant slab of stone appeared right beside the tracks. The stone slab had a set of stairs she and Sig could climb. They climbed to the top, and waited for the right train, which didn't take long.

The train sped by, and the pair jumped. They landed on the roof of the moving cars, and Izumi used her alchemy again to create an opening in the roof.

The pair jumped in the car, and straight away, Izumi noticed something was wrong. People who didn't look like military dogs, or passengers surrounded them.

Izumi used her alchemic powers to transmute a long wooden rod. When it was done, she thrust it into the stomach of one of the people surrounding her. Sig joined in and punched another in the face.

Before long, there was a pile of bodies in the middle of the isle.

"Look what you just did!" shouted a passenger. "Now more of them will come!"

"Don't you understand that they would have killed you anyways?" said Sig.

The passenger fell silent.

"Now." Said Izumi, an evil gleam in her eye again. "To find my pupils!"


End file.
